After four days of eating our hearts out in Singapore, The Astronomer, June, and I flew to Malaysia for a 10-day stay. The Astronomer spearheaded an adventuresome itinerary that took us from the country’s jungles to its beaches and its metropolitan center. We saw and ate as much as possible during our vacation but alas, it was impossible to make a dent.

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Kuching, Malaysia

The Malaysian leg of our trip began in Kuching in the state of Sarawak where we visited the Semenggoh Nature Reserve and got to see quite a few orangutans up close.

We also took a day trip to Bako National Park for more monkeys and other wildlife adventures.

On the bus ride from Bako National Park to the hotel in Kuching, we serendipitously stumbled upon the Kuching Festival. A friendly local journalist covering the event said that it was the city’s first large-scale gathering since the pandemic.

With tons of foot traffic and over 300 food stalls, the festival’s energy was terrific. From the array of food options, I selected a Teochew-style oyster omelet and a “fried oyster roll.” The omelet was wok-fired to order and packed with plump and briny oysters.

One of our favorite stops in town was at King Laksa at Icom Square. The deep, murky broth was so good that we bought some laksa paste to recreate the experience back home.

I forgot where I first learned about kek lapis Sarawak (Sarawak layer cake), but I had my heart set on sampling some while in Kuching. After locating some at Asma Cake House, I chose a slice of the traditional sweet and sour variety (kek lapis masam manis versi bakar) that employs haw flakes, while June selected the more modern red velvet. Both boasted the texture and butter-forward flavor of pound cake.

According to Food52, the cake’s many layers are cooked progressively under a broiler. “You start by pouring a ladle of cake batter into a square cake pan — just enough to cover the base — spreading it out thin, then popping it in the oven to cook for 3-5 minutes.” The kek lapis was influenced by the butter- and egg-heavy desserts of 18th-century Dutch colonizers in Java, Indonesia.

Another great sweets shop was Uncle Mike Ice Kacang & Penang Rojak. With two kinds of beans, tapioca pearls, agar agar, crushed ice, and coconut milk, Malaysian ice kacang was a familiar and cooling treat.

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Penang, Malaysia

Next, we hopped on a short flight to the island of Penang. Upon arriving, we used a car-share service to take us to Genting Cafe in Island Glades.

The small-scale hawker center was jam-packed with locals when we arrived. Genting Cafe’s dozen or so food vendors each specialized in a single dish. The food was prepared to order and then brought out to the communal dining area.

The most well-known cart sold sweet and savory chee cheong fun. According to the internet, this vendor was the first to spike the traditional hoisin sauce with peanut butter, which is now ubiquitous throughout Penang.

The Astronomer and I shared a bowl of the Penang white curry mee — a spicy, coconut milk-fortified noodle soup with bee hoon rice noodles, blood cockles, and fried tofu.

Lastly, a chile-forward bowl of Hokkien mee with yellow wheat noodles, pork, and a soy-braised hardboiled egg.

We stayed at a beachside resort (Shangri-La Golden Sands) in Batu Ferringhi during the first half of our time in Penang. It can be tough to find great food where tourists cluster, but we were determined to find something memorable to eat. The oyster omelet at the Long Beach Food Court scratched the itch well enough, but I was certain we could do even better.

The next morning, I spied a curb-side set-up near our hotel on Jalan Sungai Emas dishing a mix of South Asian and Malay cooking. I struck street food gold.

In addition to a warm mug of chai tea, I bought a baggie of dal, some stir-fried noodles, a doughnut, two warm-from-the-griddle flatbreads, and a pandan pancake filled with sweetened coconut (dadar gulung). We ate the delicious haul on our hotel balcony overlooking the pool.

We returned to the same street vendor the following day for more delicious cooking. This time we settled on two curries, a lentil doughnut (vada)…

…and a parcel filled with spicy fish and rice. I washed everything down with a warm glass of chai.

We found more good Indian cooking nearby at the Mutiara Apartment Food Court.

Chilled spears of fresh papaya were secured from the fruit vendor inside the food court, too.

This snack stand on Jalan Sungai Emas fried up some mean bananas and tapioca root.

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George Town, Malaysia

The third leg of our trip was spent in George Town; I was charmed to bits by its food and architecture.

Upon arrival, our hotel offered cool glasses of nutmeg juice and these cute little cookies with a plain base and sugary tip. I hadn’t encountered this type of cookie since my grandma served them to my cousins and me after school when we were kids.

Joon Hooi Cafe on Penang Road proved to be the ultimate one-stop-shop for some of George Town’s prized culinary delicacies. We ordered from each vendor individually, and the food was dropped off at our table.

First up was a juicy take on popiah.

June enjoyed the unbeatable combination of fried squid and deep-fried chicken skin.

Also on the table was a bowl of curry mee with super-thin vermicelli noodles. The coconut milk broth transformed into a rich orange hue when the bowl’s components were properly mixed together.

My favorite was the asam laksa, a sour and spicy specialty of Panang. The fish-forward broth was highly slurp-able along with the slippery rice noodles.

For dessert, June and I shared some chendul from the Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul cart that’s been around since 1936.

The exquisite dessert is made from shaved ice with coconut milk, palm sugar, red beans, and rice flour “noodles” colored and flavored with pandan leaf.

We set our sights on Hameediyah for dinner, Penang’s oldest nasi kandar restaurant. It’s been open since 1907.

The Astronomer and I filled a plate by pointing to what looked good from the collection of rice, curries, and side dishes. While the gravies were too spicy for June, The Astronomer and I really dug the robust flavors and portions.

Before catching an early flight to Kuala Lumpur, we stopped at Roti Canai Jalan Argyll for an incredible breakfast.

A mug of warm and frothy chai tea.

The morning’s delectable spread included a trio of curries and flaky flatbreads of all stripes.

The roti made with butter and sugar was especially delicious.

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Last but not least, we flew to Kuala Lumpur for a much-too-short stay.

The first thing we ate in the city was a slice of pandan layer cake from Pandan Republic

Our inaugural dinner in the city was at Restoran Meng Kee Grill Fish, an Eater-recommended spot for Chinese Malaysian seafood. We ordered the deep-fried silken tofu, black pepper shrimp, sauteed squid…

…and salted egg yolk-battered squid.

The following day, we nibbled on various foods that caught our eye while exploring the city. We swung into Toast Master on Jalan Hang Lekir (near Petaling Street) for kaya toast and honey-butter toast.

The Astronomer was drawn to the new-school popiah cart parked nearby and ordered the seaweed spicy popiah.

We purchased some delightful mochi from Madam Tang on Petaling Street in flavors like black sesame, lychee, pandan, and mango — all of it dusted in a fine coat of peanut dust. She’s been selling her wares here for 50-plus years.

Restoran Basheer Bistro fed us well for dinner one evening. Between the three of us, we polished off the mee goreng ayam…

…roti canai and idli (not pictured)…

…murtabak ayam…

…and roti pisang (banana) for dessert.

On our final day in KL, I made the trek to the outer suburb of Klang to procure a slice of Regent’s famed pandan layer cake.

The shop’s been around since 1977, and the signature ware consists of layers of chiffon cake and silky pandan jelly. June says that it was totally worth the out-of-the-way trip.

A crowd of students and parents gathering around the Ramly burger stall outside our hotel caught our eye on the final afternoon in KL. Ramly burgers were founded in 1979 by butcher Haji Ramly Monki to provide Muslims with halal-certified meat on the go.

The beef burger patty came enveloped in an eggy parcel in between a squishy bun. The universal deliciousness of fast-food transcends borders.

And with that, we hopped on a flight back to Singapore to stay overnight before flying home to Los Angeles the following morning. Upon arriving home, all three of us tested positive for COVID-19 immediately. Ah, the joys of traveling in 2022.

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One year ago: Slacker.
Two years ago: Slacker.
Three years ago: Shibumi – Downtown
Four years ago: Rustic Canyon – Santa Monica
Five years ago: Afternoon Tea at The Huntington – Pasadena
Six years ago: Slacker.
Seven years ago: Slacker.
Eight years ago: Lu’s Garden – San Gabriel
Nine years ago: Sushi Kanesaka – Tokyo
Ten years ago: {swoon} Pani Puri at Surati Farsan Mart
Eleven years ago: White Truffle Dinner at Valentino Ristorante – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)
Twelve years ago: Bouchon Bakery – Las Vegas (The Venetian)
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Fifteen years ago: Bánh Mì Cá Sardine
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